A shocking video has emerged from Karachi showing welding work taking place inside the nursery of the National Institute of Child Health. Newborn babies can clearly be seen lying on beds while sparks fly nearby. Sources say between 80 and 120 infants were present in the nursery at the time. Most of these newborns were dependent on oxygen support.
The video, obtained by Geo News, captured the repair work that was being done to create an emergency exit route in the emergency department nursery. Despite the presence of so many fragile babies, the welding continued. Hospital administration has not responded to repeated requests for comment on the incident.
This event comes just weeks after a tragic fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences gynaecology ward. That fire killed 15 infants on August 26. Fourteen babies died during the blaze and one more passed away later. The nation was already grieving that loss when this new video from NICH surfaced.
An official inquiry into the PIMS fire concluded that an electrical fault in an air conditioner cable was the most likely cause of the fire. However, the report also pointed to deeper problems. It described the disaster as the result of systematic and institutional failures. Dense smoke filled the nursery within one to two minutes after the fire became visible around 6:38 am, leaving almost no time for rescue.
The recent welding incident at NICH has raised fresh questions about safety standards in major public hospitals. Carrying out hot work like welding so close to oxygen dependent newborns is extremely dangerous. Any spark or accident could have led to a serious emergency.
Parents and citizens are demanding clear answers. Why was such risky work allowed inside an active nursery filled with infants? Why has the hospital administration remained silent? After the painful lessons of the PIMS tragedy, many expected stricter safety measures in children’s hospitals across the country.
The video has sparked widespread concern online and among medical professionals. It highlights ongoing gaps in hospital safety protocols that continue to put the most vulnerable patients at risk. Stronger oversight and immediate corrective action are needed to prevent another avoidable tragedy.
